The use of the Incident Control System (Australasian Interagency Incident Management System) in Emergency Management

WHO ARE WE? 650 staff. 70,964 volunteers. 2069 Brigades. 50 Zones/Teams/Districts. 140 Local Government areas. Provides fire services to 99.6% of NSW including bush fires, structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, search and rescue and other emergencies.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE INCIDENT CONTROL SYSTEM It is a system to integrate personnel, equipment, communications, procedures and facilities into a common organisational structure. It provides clear delegation of responsibilities to effectively accomplish stated objectives.

HISTORY Origin from a Military System Adapted by Forestry Service in US as National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS) Introduced to Fire Agencies in Australia in early 1980s In 1991 Formalised as Australian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS)

The State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989 LEGISLATION The State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989 Displan defines the Combat Agencies for various incidents: Police (law enforcement, search and rescue, plus anything not listed below) NSWFB (fires within the Fire District, hazmat on land and inland waters, rescue) State Emergency Service (floods, storm, tempest, rescue) Rural Fire Service (fires within the Rural Fire District) VRA (rescue) Ambulance Service (medical, transport, rescue) Mines Rescue (rescue designated mines) Relevant Port Authority (marine oil spill) NSW Agriculture (animal health, exotic plant diseases)

NSW COORDINATED FIREFIGHTING MULTI-AGENCY APPROACH NSW Rural Fire service NSW Fire Brigades National Parks State Forests and Support Agencies

AIIMS (ICS) Adopted in 1991. Gradually adopted by most fire combat agencies in Australia and New Zealand. Other agencies criticised it as being to Fire Service centric. In 2002 an extensive review was commenced by AFAC to make it more generic without compromising its structure.

ICS IS A FLEXIBLE CONCEPT It is used for a small incident where the Incident Controller manages all functions directly. Up to the largest incident which involves the creation of an Incident Management Team and the filling of all support positions.

ICS PRINCIPLES Universal Application. Flexible. Not just for Emergency Services. Management by Objectives. Span of Control. Principal Functions (Incident Control, Operations, Planning and Logistics, Safety, Media Liaison and Management Support).

ICS can be used in a variety of circumstances by different combat agencies.

Urban Search and Rescue

Maritime disasters

large scale building collapse Terrorist events and large scale building collapse

Large scale meteorological events

Tsunami and other tidal events

Aviation and aerospace disasters

ICS PRINCIPLES FUNCTIONAL DELEGATION INCIDENT CONTROL OPERATIONS PLANNING LOGISTICS

ICS PRINCIPLES cont. SAFETY ADVISOR MEDIA LIAISON including Community Liaison MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

All Personnel in Key Functions Identified by Tabards and supporting Personnel by Brassards

ICS PRINCIPLES Management by objectives. Making a correct appreciation will result in appropriate objectives. These objectives must be communicated. Objectives are reviewed throughout the operation.

LIAISON AND SUPPORT AGENCIES NSWFB National Parks State Forests Police/DEOCON DEMO Bureau of Meteorology

LIAISON AND SUPPORT AGENCIES (Cont’d) State Emergency Service NSW Ambulance St John Ambulance Water Authority Electricity Authority Telstra NSW Agriculture RTA Railways DOCS

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